UPDATE | On Campus

Mock Interviews Go High-Tech

Students like Stephanie Orchard have a new way to fine tune their interview skills.

Ever had a job interview and immediately wished you could do it over again? Students now have that option, thanks to new technology in the School of Business Career Center (BCC).

Students can sign up to use the technology, called RezFusion, that records them answering questions they are likely to encounter in an interview. They can program the computer to ask specific questions or pose unexpected ones that test their ability to think on their feet.

Students can then watch their recorded responses from any computer via the Web. They can ask a BCC advisor to watch their sessions to pinpoint any problems with their approach. If they have a problem with answering a particular question, they can do several “takes” until they get their answer just right.

The BCC still offers mock interviews with actual recruiters, and in fact, this fall implemented a “Mocks by Major” program to more closely match students with mock interviewers who work in their fields of particular interest. But the computer-based approach allows students to fine-tune their interviewing skills in a way that would be too time-consuming for the conventional method.

Steve Schroeder, interim assistant dean of the BCC, said the biggest advantage of the new technology is, “Students have the opportunity to hone their interviewing skills in private. Most of us are nervous during interviews and this new system allows students a more comfortable environment in which to practice.”

Stephanie Orchard, a sophomore planning to major in marketing, said she found the approach extremely useful. “I had a second chance to answer questions if I felt that I didn’t respond to them sufficiently. Now I feel more confident about interviewing with real employers.”